Blagojevich takes the stand in trial

Ex-Ill. governor rambles during long testimony

CHICAGO - An unmuzzled Rod Blagojevich launched the campaign of his life Thursday, taking the witness stand at his corruption trial in an attempt to sway a jury with the same charm and chattiness that helped him win two contests for Illinois governor.

Looking directly at the jurors who will decide his fate, Blagojevich tried to connect with them by laying out nearly every detail of his biography: his upbringing, his first job, the insecurity of his college years. He described himself as a flawed dreamer grounded in his parents' working-class values and at one point choked up as he talked about the day he met his wife, Patti.

Not until five hours into his testimony did Blagojevich and his attorneys begin to address the 20 charges of corruption against him. On the first of what could be several days on the stand, he was not asked about the most explosive allegation - that he tried to sell or trade President Barack Obama's old Senate seat for personal gain.

But he denied other charges, saying he never tried to leverage a state school grant to squeeze Rahm Emanuel's brother, a Hollywood agent, to hold a fundraiser for him. He also denied trying to shake down a racetrack owner.

And he denied a damning allegation made in testimony the previous day when U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, D-Ill., accused him of withholding a state job for Jackson's wife at least partly because Jackson had refused to give him a $25,000 campaign donation.

"I don't remember anything remotely like that," Blagojevich said.

Indignant one minute, laughing the next, in tears after that, witness Blagojevich clearly was trying to humanize himself for the jury to counteract the blunt, profane, seemingly greedy Blagojevich heard on FBI wiretap recordings played in court by prosecutors over the past weeks.

As a legal strategy, he may also have been attempting to demonstrate his penchant for endless talk. That would help lay the groundwork for his attorneys' argument that Blagojevich's long discussions with aides about fundraising and getting a top job for himself or his wife were just a politician's unceasing ramblings.

That, legal experts say, could offset the enormous gamble of having Blagojevich testify, which will expose him to withering cross examination by prosecutors in the days to come.

If convicted on all 20 counts, Blagojevich could face a maximum prison term of 350 years. Federal guidelines would dictate he get far less, though judges can consider multiple factors in sentencing, including whether the defendant took the stand and lied.

A jury deadlocked on most charges after Blagojevich's first trial last year, when the defense rested without calling a single witness. For months before that trial, he had insisted he would take the stand, and then declined to do so.

Though he could remember in minute detail the night that he met his wife in 1988 and the first time he saw Ryne Sandberg play for the Cubs years ago, Blagojevich's recollection of details about his more recent dealings as governor were far fuzzier, and he began saying "I don't remember" more often.

Prosecutors objected only twice before midday, otherwise allowing Blagojevich to meander far from the accusations for which he is on trial. But by the afternoon, their patience had run out. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar stood up to object at least 30 times.

Jurors also appeared to grow weary. By the afternoon, their eyes roamed more often. They tuned back in during Blagojevich's repeated denials of wrongdoing, though, furiously taking notes.